October 29, 2016

HWY 100 is back up and running, yet very few showed up for today's version of the Workshop very generously sponsored by TowerLight. Sam (bass), Steve H (alto), and Greg (guitar) were all who were there until some time after 1:00, when Annie (vocals) and Carl (unavailable to play) stopped in, followed soon after by Jim D (alto, clarinet and bongos). So Sam, Greg and yours truly had a good time of it for a while, getting plenty of songs and extra solo work.

While Greg got set up, Sam and I got a nice duet groove going on All Blues (I-18). Sam thought it might be fun to get out some off-book stuff, and we gave a run at On The Trail (from Ferde Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite). We followed this with something that is surprisingly not in the first three volumes of the Real Book, Gershwin's Summertime, which I had in the case with me. Back to the regular stuff, Greg picked the classic When You're Smiling (III-437). Sam called for Straight, No Chaser (I-386). Why? "Nostalgia." Guitar man Greg went with the great Django Reinhardt's Nuages (I-367). Inspired by the Romani influence, I pulled out my original, Lungotevere. Speaking of nostalgia, Sam went with Nostalgia In Times Square (I-306).

As Annie and Carl were coming in, we began You Took Advantage Of Me (I-460). Annie was ready to go, so she called up Black Orpheus (I-48); Jim, freshly arrived himself, grabbed his bongos, and I my egg, to accompany. Annie followed this up with Easy To Love (I-128). Sam thought we should have an instrumental ballad, and Greg suggested Autumn In New York (I-38), which Annie naturally joined. She then decided on Besame Mucho (III-42).  Jim wanted to give the clarinet a turn, and called for Benny Goodman's Slipped Disc (II-353). One last one from Annie, who sang Polka Dots and Moonbeams (II-318). We finished the afternoon with My Little Suede Shoes (II).

We'll be back again for the next few weeks at TowerLight, though we will be expecting one of these weeks to try out the Hook and Ladder in Minneapolis, before we make any final decisions about where to settle down.

--SJH